Chapter Seven: July - Fumizuki (文月): The happiness of thinking of someone.

The year is 2205 A.D.

To annihilate the History Retrograde Army who schemes to alter history

Them, who were born from swords,

Engage in mortal combat as well!

I'm counting on you too, Yagen.

Xxxxxxxxxx

Crossing the flowery citadel of a gentle breeze on that summer's night, the wind was slowly making its way into the forge, entering through the ajar door, making him shudder despite the heat of the place due to the blazing fire in the oven. Wiping off the sweat that was beading from his forehead with his wrist, he breathed with relief in putting down the Wakizashi, recently completely forged, on the workbench in front of him. The door slid suddenly, causing him to turn around as one of his Toudan passed the entrance. He smiled in anticipation, thinking that it was surely his servant and opened wide his eyes with surprise in seeing the blue hakama-clothed Uchigatana walking to him, watching the room curiously.

"Yasusada? "

"Sorry, I didn't mean to disturb you... " announced the sword with a small voice, offering a contrite smile to the Saniwa.

"Don't be ridiculous. I had finished anyway... " affirmed the latter, smiling at his turn, letting his eyes get lost for a few seconds on the short blade before continuing: "You wanted something? "

"Hmm, yes. I was wondering, these herbs that Hasebe cultivates for you... could I borrow some of them? " questioned Yamatonokami, more confident.

"The Shiso? To do what? " was surprised the Sage as he undid his tatsuki, releasing the sleeves of his cyan hakama, which fell delicately on his arms.

"An omamori. "

Looking up at his Touken Danshi, the boy squinted, puzzled, then took a few steps, grabbing the little beige bag that the Uchigatana held between his fingers, and whilst inspecting it, tilted his head to one side.

"I see. " he murmured, returning the handmade object to its owner. "It's pretty popular lately, right? " he asked afterwards, amused.

"Yes. " whispered the Toudan, apprehensively.

"I do not mind. Be careful in pulling up the seedlings, however. " the boy advised, smiling back at the sword.

"I'll make sure of it. Thank you, Aruji! " indicated Yasusada, delighted, quickly showing a clean pair of heels.

Sighing with exhaustion, the Sage closed his eyes a few moments and, opening them again, finally took the Wakizashi between his hands, moving swiftly towards the summoning room. The night had slowly set in, leaving the calm and darkness of the starry sky to invade the citadel. The short blade, resting on its support, was submerged by a bright light dazzling the room as the features of a young boy were forming softly, a small yellow turtle standing firmly on his shoulder.

Delivering his presentation speech, usual to the Touken Danshi that had just been invoked, the Saniwa patiently waited, nodding kindly to the unimportant details of the Wakizashi, himself giving some useful information later, before finally going back out, guiding his Toudan through the dark corridors to his apartments.

The shōji in front of him slid as the glow of a lantern came to light the place, and he stepped forward cautiously, extending a hand whilst saying:

"It's here, I hope it suits you. "

"Hehe... it's not that bad... Maybe as well as at the Ryuugu Castle. "

"I'm sure. "

Smiling affectionately, the Sage turned his head behind him as he heard footsteps in the distance, and moved slightly accordingly, leaving the field clear for the current resident of the room to discover his new roommate.

"Urashima? "

"Hmm? Hachisuka-nii-chan! "

Turning around with a quick movement, Urashima Kotetsu stretched his lips in a smile filled with both surprise and joy and hurriedly crossed the few meters that separated him from his big brother, throwing himself unrestrainedly in his arms.

"Urashima..." murmured Hachisuka, closing his eyes with happiness as he tightened his grip on the boy hanging on his waist.

"I guess that his move in doesn't bother you. " declared the Saniwa, touched.

"Of course. " assured the long pink-haired sword, entering the room accompanied by the Wakizashi. Then, facing the Saniwa, he looked away slightly, as embarrassed, and whispered: "Thank you. "

Nodding his head, the Sage smiled again, aware of the deep gratitude hidden behind that simple words, and began to turn back before stopping abruptly, an idea running through his mind.

"What about an outing to the sea? " he said, mischievous, anchoring his pupils on the blond Kotetsu.

"To the sea? "

"You should go with Mutsunokami and the others, I'm sure you'll like it. And, who knows, maybe the Ryuugu Castle will be around too. "

"Hehe, that would be good! "

Xxxxxxxxxx

From a luminescent snowy white, as if a thousand clouds had clustered between them, the sky was shining as never, accentuating the rays of the sun of this afternoon, whose heat was only increasing as the hours flowed.

Settled in the room adjacent to the kitchen, the Saniwa finished his lunch with a few latecomers, chatting cheerfully with each Touken Danshi sitting at the table with him. The work accumulating constantly on his desk often stopped him from sharing a moment with his swords, and there was no doubt on the fact that he took particular pleasure in prolonging those which were offered to him.

"When I think you didn't even tell it to me! "

"Kiyomitsu, don't you think you're overreacting? "

"It's not fair! Why did Yasusada have the right to touch it? "

"Because he asked me first? Frankly, I don't see the problem, you can find something else to put in your omamori, isn't it? "

"Master's right. How long still are you going to keep sulking? "

"I'm not sulking! "

Laughing lightly at the childish exchange of the Uchigatana who had previously belonged to Okita Souji, the Sage rested his chopsticks on their supports and got up by grabbing his tray to go to the kitchen, thanking Shokudaikiri and Kasen before going to the outside courtyard in search of Sakamoto Ryouma's former katana.

"Mutsunokami! " he exclaimed, discovering the so-named man gathering several objects for the imminent outing to the beach.

"Ah, Aruji! Did you come to say goodbye? It's very nice of you. " related Yoshiyuki, smiling.

"Yes, and to give you some recommendations too. " pointed out the boy, facing his Toudan, looking slightly at the Toushirou assembly who was slowly beginning to appear.

"I'm listening to you. "

"I don't want to seem pretentious about your common sense, but the sea can be a dangerous place... " hesitated the golden-eyed Saniwa, a bit anxious.

"You're right. We will watch over each other, so don't worry. " tried to reassure him Mutsunokami, understanding.

"I know. But just to be sure; you took cans of freshwater, didn't you? " questioned the boy, fretted.

"Yes. "

"And you will tell the little ones to stay on the edge, where they'll be in their depths.

"I'll do it. "

"Oh! Don't forget… "

"To pay attention to sunburn. I know I know. Aruji, you worry about nothing... " interrupted the katana, chuckling, amused.

"I see. In this case, I don't say anything anymore. " whispered the Sage, a fine contrite smile on his lips.

Finally appeased, the boy left his Touken Danshi, offering a last look at his first sword, who was walking along the engawa to join his partner already in a swimsuit in the yard, who nodded knowingly, an implicit agreement created between the two, as the promise that if anything should go wrong, the Uchigatana with the red scarf would be there to take charge of the situation.

Xxxxxxxxxx

"That doesn't make any sense! Where did you last see it?! "

"If I remembered it, we wouldn't be here seeking! "

Sighing loudly, the Saniwa let himself fell back to the ground, staring distraughtly at his messy room, the dozens of drawers and cardboard boxes open here and there, overflowing with documents and objects of all kinds, giving him the impression that he had accumulated far too much over the last few months.

"We can do without..." he delivered, discouraged.

"Can you really...? asked Hasebe, puzzled.

"No. "

"Well, then, let's try to proceed by elimination- "

"Aruji! We'll be heading off to the beach now! "

"Aruji, thank you! "

"Thank you for the bathing suit! "

"It's wonderful. "

Turning to the sound of these voices, the master and his servant got up near the window that Heshikiri opened wide, exclaiming, annoyed:

"Can't you lot be quiet? "

A slight grin coming to stretch the corners of his mouth, the Sage returned to his task, meticulously searching again in his library, the light-brown-haired Uchigatana continuing to sermonise his swords.

"Master has something he's trying to look up- Ah, don't talk all at once! "

"Ah, is Master not coming with us? "

"You know why. Master is the indoor type. Now get going. "

Hasebe's remark made him frown, and he got up just as the paper window slid in the opposite direction, staring at his Toudan, motionless, the latter watching him in surprise.

"Wouldn't it be your favourite excuse, by any chance? " he declared, eyebrows raised.

"I beg your pardon?! "

Offering him a dubious look, the boy faced his attendant, arms crossed, whilst the latter began to search again the room as if nothing had happened.

"You could just say that I'm busy, instead of inventing that kind of argument that absolutely doesn't hold water, given that yesterday again I went for a walk with Atsushi and Midare... "

"I don't see what you're talking about..."

Sighing anew, shaking his head, the Saniwa smiled, resuming his search as the voices of his Touken Danshi sounded outside.

"See you later, Aruji! "

"We'll be going! "

"Be careful. " he murmured softly, preoccupied.

Xxxxxxxxxx

A twilight cradled by the golden rays of the setting sun accompanied the return of his Toudan, a veil of sadness reflected in the depths of their pupils, half masked by the joy of their past outing and the fatigue of the returning path to the Citadel.

Frowning, concerned, the Saniwa watched their arrival from the engawa leading to the door of his office, slightly leaning against the jamb of the wall. He exhaled, aware of the desire that undermined the hearts of his Toushirou as they were watching with envy, and perhaps a hint of jealousy, the Samonji brothers walking all the three together just in front of them, and as Yagen was clutching forcefully between his fingers the small mauve omamori containing one of the wishes of his little brothers and formerly hanging on the sacred cherry tree.

There are desires that require too much patience to be totally contained and ignored... he thought whilst nibbling his bottom lip, frustrated.

And there are swords that play hard to get!

Turning with a quick gesture, he began to walk at great speed towards the forge, opening the sliding door in a sharp blow before closing it just as abruptly. And, raising his sleeves as he caught his tatsuki trailing on his workbench, began to work fervently, relighting the extinguished oven and gathering the charcoal and the steel.

Four days thus passed, without him coming out of the room, pushing Hasebe to worry again about his health. It was true that he had practically made no breaks except to eat, although he often only has taken a single meal late in the afternoon, and that he had hardly been sleeping at all. But the effort was worth it when, in the early evening of the fourth day, the Tachi was finally completely forged and the spirit of the Awataguchi anchored inside.

Then, completely exhausted, he joined his room with a heavy step, having previously deposited the object of his hard work in the summoning room, only to find one last, but not least, wish slipped between the shōji of the entrance. A Fuji. A prayer. To humbly ask the Saniwa to agree to grant a favour.

Closing his eyelids wearily, the request being more than familiar to him, the Sage took the leaf of paper with one hand, the other opening the doors, and waking up a Shinnosuke deeply asleep on his futon prepared in foresight by his attendant, ordered that Nakigitsune, author of the message, was immediately summoned so that his prayer was fulfilled.

Slipping the little white paper man between the two pages of the leaf, he yawned, exhausted, and as the seconds passed, tried hard to keep his eyes open until his new Toudan was presented to him.

Xxxxxxxxxx

The full moon that adorned the dark sky of that night sparkled lightly over his pupils, a strange feeling oppressing his chest and preventing sleep from reaching him despite his intense fatigue. He sighed with annoyance and, deciding to go out to get some fresh air, began to walk along the engawa around the citadel, after having descended the few steps which separated his room from the latter. Silence reigned supremely over the estate, offering him a feeling of loneliness that suddenly made him panic. After all this time, it seemed that the prospect of being alone again has become unbearable for him.

The Saniwa stopped abruptly in the middle of the path, Awataguchi's unique Tachi standing in front of the shōji in his brothers' bedroom, motionless.

"Ichigo. " he called in a weak voice, trying to make as little noise as possible.

"Aruji... "

Turning slowly around, the cloak clung to his epaulette gently rising to the rhythm of the movement, Ichigo Hitofuri smiled sadly at his new master, a certain melancholy shining through his eyes.

"Aren't you asleep yet? "

"I was thinking. I have… "

Smiling in his turn, the boy stepped toward his Touken Danshi, facing him as he leaned his head slightly to the side as if to push him to continue his momentum.

"What? "

"I feel guilty. They waited for so long, and I... " tried to explain the sword, hesitating, indicating with a movement of the hand the closed room, and by extension the people inside.

"It isn't inevitable. Now that you're here, everything will be fine. " reassured him the Sage, narrowing his eyes, touched.

"I wonder who suffers the most... the ones doing the waiting or the ones making them wait...? " murmured the turquoise-haired Tachi, lost.

"I'm not sure to have the answer to this question. There are things that would be forever unknown to us, and others that it's better to never learn. And feelings like emotions... are more complex than people thinks. But that doesn't mean there is nothing you can do about it. " replied the Saniwa, pursing his lips together.

"What do you mean? " asked Ichigo, puzzled.

"The sadness of this waiting, you have the power to replace it with an equivalent joy. A memory that nobody will be able to take away. And that you will cherish forever. " indicated the Sage, smiling again. "Like a bad dream which is forgotten after awakening. "

"A bad dream..." repeated Hitofuri, lost in thought.

"It's an ally..." declared the boy, closing his eyelids a few moments before calmly opening them again on the ten thousand leaf cherry tree.

"What do you mean? "

"Time. Even if it doesn't seem obvious at first sight, time allows to face anything, and heal even the deepest wounds. You just have to be patient. " he continued to tell, offering a soft look to his Toudan. "One day, perhaps, even the flames of this night will mean nothing anymore to you... " (*1)

Widening his eyes in surprise, the Awataguchi took a step back, staggering, before finally regaining composure, a thin contrite smile adorning his mouth as he nodded.

Imitating his sword, the Saniwa repeated the same gesture and feeling his mind finally calm, turned towards his room whilst the Tachi behind him retraced his steps as well, walking slowly to his own apartments. (*2)

The next night, to his great amusement, the outer courtyard and the plain to the sacred tree was covered with lanterns and garlands of paper as in a matsuri, the Toushirou brothers, finally reunited with their eldest, dancing and singing as a welcome party.

Standing a little behind the group, the Sage watched the concert from a distance, the smile that stretched the corners of his mouth never leaving his face a single second. Suddenly joined by the Uchigatana in a black and red hakama, he smiled even more, and said, cheerful:

"I guess it's to your taste. "

"Of course, after all, it's me who offered this magazine to Yasusada saying that it came from you. "

"As we would expect from you... "

Chuckling softly, Kiyomitsu let himself be carried away by the rhythm of the melody, closing his eyes to appreciate all the more the sounds.

"In your opinion... " suddenly declared the golden-eyed boy, pushing him to reopen his own eyes whilst turning his head towards him. "Should I feel reassured that he is integrating with the others, or it absolutely doesn't fix the problem? "

Kashuu nibbled his lips at these words, his pupils automatically locking on the silhouette of his partner who actively participated in the show by clapping his hands happily. Sihing unceremoniously, he opened his mouth in an attempt at a reply without giving, however, none, uncertain.

"You know how I operate, Kiyomitsu. You know that despite my apprehensions, I'm ready to give him every chance he needs. And I'm counting on you to watch the situation on your side. But you aren't without ignoring that there is a point of no return. " related the Sage with a frown, a serious look suddenly darkening the features of his face.

"Yes. I'll make sure he doesn't cross it. " sighed the Uchigatana, aware of the stakes.

"You'll make sure he doesn't want to cross it. " corrected him the Saniwa in a softer voice, his attention once again grabbed by the concert which was taking place in front of him. "He only will take the decision that will determine his fate. "

"Yes… "

Endnote:

Shiso: Shiso is an aromatic, medicinal and food plant called lemon balm in English. Generally, and wrongly, the shiso is translated by lemon mint or Japanese basil, which is totally false since neither the leaves nor the smell of this plant is comparable to mint or basil. At best, shiso has a strong smell and taste of liquorice or anise.

There are a lot of different plants in this scene and it's hard to know what herbs Yasusada is talking about exactly, but by analysing precisely those that Hasebe watered, I found that the leaves and stems looked a lot like shiso (the green form and not the violet), so I concluded it was that. Especially since shiso is a very fragrant plant, like lavender, which supports the fact that Kashuu may have smelt it from as far away.

Tatsuki: A sort of sash that is used to hold up the sleeves on a kimono. Best examples with Kiyomitsu and Yasusada.

(* 1): Again a reference to the story of a Toudan. Ichigo Hitofuri was damaged in the summer of 1615 during the Siege at Osaka Castle. The Tachi completely burned during the fire of the latter with, notably, his brothers Namazuo and Honebami, and consequently lost his memory, the only memories left to him being those of the flames.

Ironically, Honebami and Ichigo both shared Mikazuki's life at one point, having even been very close, but they keep absolutely no memory of it because of the fire. Even more ironically, Namazuo is the only one who was only partially burned, so that he still has some memories of his past life, however, he had never met Mikazuki before appearing in the citadel.

(* 2): In the second season, Zoku, during the visit to the new citadel, the Toushirou specify that they are happy to finally sleep in the same room as their big brother, so I concluded that Ichigo had his own bedroom before they moved.